What is your budget? I have Ty's D4's and using a Rogue Tempest II with good success. My last speaker was Ty's Linbrook Signatures and I had on loan for about 3 months a BAT VK55 tube amp mated with a VK5i. It didn't have the slam or quite the dynamics of a solid state amp but the bass was full and the mids and highs were wonderful. If you could swing a VK-75 or 75SE or maybe a 55SE it may be worth checking into. I know the D1's would benefit more power than a 55 but I do know the BAT tube amps are fantastic or at least I loved them. Another option which I would not hesitate to try would be Rogue monoblocks (150 or 180) or a Zeus tube amp. I like the Rogue sound and the customer support is fantastic as is BAT.
Tube amp to drive Tyler Decade D1's?
Anyone out there with experience driving the new Decade line from Tyler acoustics with a tube amp? I am currently using a very sweet DNA-125 and ALD-1 (both with Gold revisions) from McCormack, and they sound as good as anything I have heard from a transistor setup. I was thinking of changing it up with a tube amp or tubed integrated as well, and was curious if others had some success or failures they would like to share with me. The speakers are around 90db/W efficient (they do seem to play loud with the volume pretty low). They are rated at 8ohm, but with multiple drivers, I wouldn't be surprised if they required more current than an 8ohm load should. I have already tried a couple of tube amps on them:
1) Cayin A-88T: surprisingly powerful, not any more full than the DNA-125 though, and a bit of loss of detail and also a bit hazier sounding. A great deal and enough power for this setup if one was on a $1200 (used) budget; doesn't match the McCormack's performance though. A higher-end KT88 type amp may be the ticket (more power wouldn't hurt).
2) Atma-sphere M60 MK2.2: Not enough juice for my speakers. They sounded very rich, but a bit flat, and lacking bass. I know these amps are very highly regarded (the guy who got mine was over the moon with their performance) but OTL amps and the Decade D1 seem not to be a good match.
Unfortunately, tube amps are nearly impossible to take home for a demo from a shop, as they are very hard to find. Even the McIntosh dealer rarely has tube amps anymore.
1) Cayin A-88T: surprisingly powerful, not any more full than the DNA-125 though, and a bit of loss of detail and also a bit hazier sounding. A great deal and enough power for this setup if one was on a $1200 (used) budget; doesn't match the McCormack's performance though. A higher-end KT88 type amp may be the ticket (more power wouldn't hurt).
2) Atma-sphere M60 MK2.2: Not enough juice for my speakers. They sounded very rich, but a bit flat, and lacking bass. I know these amps are very highly regarded (the guy who got mine was over the moon with their performance) but OTL amps and the Decade D1 seem not to be a good match.
Unfortunately, tube amps are nearly impossible to take home for a demo from a shop, as they are very hard to find. Even the McIntosh dealer rarely has tube amps anymore.
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- 14 posts total
- 14 posts total